Now Hear This!
Like any specialty field, the home healthcare industry is still an emerging field.
It is reported that the combined market for U.S. home healthcare products has approached and may have surpassed a $5 billion industry. Products are expensive, difficult to obtain and usually don’t offer a money-back guarantee or return policy. Furthermore, while manufacturers have good intentions, the best product designers are ones who have been in the trenches and can empathize with physical challenges of being both the caregiver and the patient. Manufacturers have opportunities to improve upon their designs by seeking greater understanding of the end-user.
HomeBoundResources has consulted with numerous caregivers who continue to find mistakes made not only in the design of products, but in the overall accessibility. The voice of the caregiver and the patient can be better heard in the healthcare industries that serve the population.
What We Look For
HomeBoundResources uses the following criteria for evaluating a product:
- Empathic Design
- Is the end-user in mind? Has the manufacturer consulted with caregivers and patients to incorporate the attributes that will best serve their customers?
- Demonstrated Use
- How widely tested/used is the product by caregivers/patients?
- Functional Quality
- What thought went into the materials, construction, and weight?
- Accessibility
- While the patient may be the ultimate end-user, the product must consider the caregiver’s role. How easy is this to use? What is the pricing/return policy? Is a demonstration available either in person or on the internet? Will the patient be self-sufficient? How much help is required?
- Aesthetic Quality
- Adaptive devices are plentiful, but will the patient take pride in using this product?
- Manufacturer’s Reputation
- How is the manufacturer perceived in the care giving community? Do they maintain a Satisfactory rating or better by the Better Business Bureau?
Submit Your Suggestions
Don’t see your favorite listed in our archives? Email suggestions for your favorite products, services or resources to Tammy@HomeBoundResources.com. Include your thoughts on the product meets the HomeBoundResources criteria and you may just see it posted in an upcoming blog!